Folks:
Summary time again...first thanx to all that responded:
syoung@cs.Buffalo.EDU Steve Young
motech!owens Mark G. Owens
pod@morgan.com Paul O'Donnell
blymn@awadi.com.AU Brett Lymn
Trevor.Kirby@newcastle.ac.uk Trevor Kirby
mel@maths.abdn.ac.uk Mel
R.Niziak@FMR.Com Rick Niziak
blu@mc.com Brian Utterback
steve@seaspace.com Steve Clemons
bepc!klmpl D. Klempel
see@uebemc.siemens.de Michael Seeger
bmanning@ISI.EDU bill
lyndon@vlibs.com Lyndon C. Lim
war@wetware.com Andy R.
The overwhelming response was to get a copy of "xntp" (I've done it).
There were also some mentions of using "rdate" on the local net.
D. Klempel reccomends "nisttime" instead and sent me the sources
(which I will make available by e-mail to anyone who wants them). I've looked
at them, but have not had time to implement them yet.
Also, attached at the bottom of this summary, is some documentation
from the NIST that anyone interested in this subject should find useful.
As is my usual practice, first the original question, then the
edited responses follow...
thanx,
b c++'ing u,
%-) sjs
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Stefan Jon Silverman - President SJS Associates, N.A., Inc.
572 Chestnut Street
Distributed Systems Architecture & Implementation San Francisco, Ca. 94133
Phone: 415 989 2741
E-mail: sjs@sjsinc.com Cell: 415 519 3494
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Weebles wobble, but they don't fall down!!!
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++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> Fellow Folks:
>
> How would one go about setting up an Internet Time-server, setting
> its time from a "_well knwon source_" (ala' the Naval Observatory in D.C.)
> and then propagating it to a local net. I know how to do the local stuff,
> but the time syncing w/ a well known source (even having read the rfc's) is
> still in un-explored territory for me....
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: Steve Young <syoung@cs.Buffalo.EDU>
You should try and pickup xntp, NTP (Network Time Protocol)
It is distributed from louie. (something) try using archie and if you
can't find it send me an e-mail to Steve_Young@pts.mot.com and I will
send you the ftp site.
Make sure you grab the rfc if you want to know how it all works.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: motech!owens (Mark G. Owens)
Get the latest version of xntp (version 3m? - includes multicast
enhancements) from you favorite ftp site (ftp.ee.lbl.gov perhaps?).
Install per directions, read the docs and choose several stratum 1
servers (plus a few stratum 2 servers) to sync from, contanct
the various sites to let them know your going to sync from them,
start up the daemon, and you're in there....
I'm currently maintaining 2 stratum 2 servers locally - I use
ntpdate to distribute time to to local net...
My basic source setup includes 3 stratum 1 servers (from different
nets),
9 stratum 2 servers (3 from each of the same nets that the 1's
are on). This number of sync sources garuntees that I have enough
numbers to get good adjustment values even if some parts of the
net (Internet) are unreachable to me.....
Since I'm running only stratum 2 level sources, I am not peering with
any outside nets. (i'm on the slow end of a 56kb frame relay link and
it's hard enough to get time in, let alone consistant packets out
that would be of value to other statum 2 peers...)
At some point you may need a local statum 1 server, when you do,
you can then decide if (and who) you want to peer with (ie provide
and accept adjustments from) among your non-local stratum 1/2 servers.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: pod@morgan.com (Paul O'Donnell)
get xntp, and read the docs. they are ptetty good.
xntp is available from most archive sites.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: blymn@awadi.com.AU (Brett Lymn)
Get a copy of xntp from your favourite archie site. Install this and
point it at a few "well known" time sources (you use a few to even out
transmission delays etc). For your internal machines use xntp on them
and make there reference be the "well connected" machine on your site.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: "Trevor Kirby" <Trevor.Kirby@newcastle.ac.uk>
Have you had a look at xntp, you can get it from ucsd.edu:/pub. It allows you
to set up various strata of time servers, has sanity checking and has stuff in
to handle various radio clocks.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: mel@maths.abdn.ac.uk (Mel)
All our machines run a cron job 'rdate timeserver' - every night, where
timeserver is an alias for the machine which I keep the clock accurate on.
Simple and it keeps everything synced.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: Rick Niziak <R.Niziak@FMR.Com>
Try NTP, we use it here and connect to tic-toc.navy.mil is't pretty
reliable also..
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: Brian Utterback <blu@mc.com>
You need to get the xntp package. It is available on the system louie.udel.edu.
You should also make sure that you get the clocks.txt file as well.
This file is the list of ntp servers around the net.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: steve@seaspace.com (Steve Clemons)
We have used "xntp" which is an internet time daemon that references
one of a plethora of "trusted time bases" for our customers residing
on the net.
Been a while since I have done this, and I forget where on the net
this resides, sorry.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: steve@seaspace.com (Steve Clemons)
Actually - did a little snooping and found that "xntp" resides
in pub/xntp on ftp.ucsd.edu (anonymous).
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: steve@seaspace.com (Steve Clemons)
Seems the most recent version of "xntp" is on louie.udel.edu
in pub/ntp (version 3.4).
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: bepc!klmpl (D. Klempel)
You might try the program "nisttime" written by John Rushford. I don't
remember where I got it from, but I've attached the source here.
*********** E-mail me if you want these sources (sjs) ***********
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: see@uebemc.siemens.de (Michael Seeger)
xntp has all the stuff you need to do timesyncing, with all sort
of reference-clocks. Timeservers via Internet or some other sort
of reference-clocks (GPS, Radioclocks, DCF-77, Oscilators).
Available for example at louie.udel.edu. There are some good
articles in the doc of xntp about timesyncing, that help
understanding.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: bmanning@ISI.EDU
Get an implementation of NTP and run it. If you have ciscos between
your net and the "outside", they can do this for you.
--bill
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: lyndon@vlibs.com (Lyndon C. Lim)
here some information from the NIST.
---------- Begin Included File
NIST transmits digital time information in several
different formats. You can use anonymous ftp to copy client
software from this machine that can be used to access the
following services:
1. ACTS. The ACTS service transmits time information
using standard telephone lines and modems. The transmitting
hardware can compensate for the transmission delay between NIST
and your system. Directory /pub/acts contains more information
on how to use this service and the accuracy that you can expect
using the measured-delay mode. This directory also contains
example software that you can use to access this service using
a standard PC or several other popular computers.
2. Network Time. Directory /pub/daytime contains several
programs that you can use to synchronize computers that are
connected to the internet. The programs use our enhancements
to the standard "daytime" and "time" protocols to obtain
information from our server. In addition to UTC(NIST), the
messages contain advance notice of leap seconds and of the
transitions to and from daylight saving time (using the formula
that is standard in the US). We have written several different
versions of this software for a number of common hardware and
software environments. A generic program in C is also provided
that will assist you in developing client software that can provide
access to this information from other environments.
3. lockclock. Directory /pub/lockclock contains a
prototype daemon program that can be used to synchronize the
time of a moderately-sized workstation to UTC(NIST) using
periodic calls to our ACTS time service. This software is
experimental and the files in this directory are under development.
Directories /etc and /bin contain files that are needed for
the operation of the anonymous file transfer system. They are not
generally useful.
For questions or additional information, please contact:
Time and Frequency Division
Mail Stop 847
National Institute of Standards and Technology
325 Broadway
Boulder, Colorado 80303
e-mail: time@time.nist.gov
---------- End Included File
---------- Begin Included File
The NIST Automated Computer Time Service (ACTS) transmits time
using standard telephone lines and modems. The ACTS transmitters can
measure and correct for the delay between NIST and your system. The
files in this directory can be used to build a program to access the
ACTS system from several different popular computer systems including
IBM-compatible PCs, workstations using many variants of the UNIX
operating system and VAX computers running the VMS operating system.
For more information, see file readme.txt in this directory.
Questions or comments should be directed to:
ACTS Software
Time and Frequency Division/847
NIST
325 Broadway
Boulder, Colorado 80303
e-mail: time@time.nist.gov
---------- End Included File
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: war@wetware.com
Get yourself a copy of the xntp source from louie.udel.edu.
Set up one machine on your network as your local time master
and have that machine sync with the "well known source".
Have all other machines in your network take time from your
local time master.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.2 : Fri Sep 28 2001 - 23:10:27 CDT